For You
by PuppyNoelle
Summary: What Zephyr and Leanne think is going to be a quick and easy errand, results in an amnesia diagnosis for Zephyr. Z/L. M for future chapters.
1. Prologue: For Drunken Hazes

_For You_  
>by PuppyNoelle<p>

Genre: Romance  
>Rating: M<br>Pairing: Zephyr/Leanne

Description: What Zephyr and Leanne think is going to be a quick and easy errand, results in an amnesia diagnosis for Zephyr.

A/N: I actually got the idea for this story while I was dreaming one night last week... I have most of it written already, so updates should be frequent ;3

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><p><em>Prologue: For Drunken Hazes<em>

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><p>"Come on Zephyr! We need to head over to the bar before it closes!"<p>

Leanne had been ready to leave for the past ten minutes, but her younger companion, to her endless annoyance, was taking his sweet time.

"Ugh... Tell me again why we have to go _tonight_?" the young man asked, finally emerging from his bedroom. "We've been doing Vashyron's stupid errands the _entire day_."

"But this is the final errand he wanted us to run while he's gone! It's not like it's that difficult, we just have to pick up a bottle of the bartender's brand new specialty wine!"

"He's gonna be gone for two more days, we'll have _plenty _of time to get it done," he retorted crankily.

Leanne huffed, dramatically spinning around, turning her back to him. "I've made up my mind. I'm going anyways, whether you come with me or not."

Just as her heels began to click against the metal floor beneath them, she heard him growl in defeat. "Fine." And in a mere moment, she could feel his arm gently brush against hers as he manipulated his own stride to match hers.

The young pair entered the bar. The clock on the wall read eleven thirty-four pm. Though she would typically have been asleep by this time, Leanne was excited about the new wine. She could hardly wait until Vashyron returned from his little expedition, and they could all share the bottle together. It was supposed to be a very sweet, fruity wine, and Vashyron had insisted that they get some for Zephyr's nineteenth birthday, which would fall on the day after their leader's return. However, the younger man, who _still _hadn't acquired any liking towards alcohol, had argued continuously with his roommates about it.

It was a Friday night, so the bar was packed with customers. There was so much chatter that Leanne could hardly hear herself think. It was nearly impossible to avoid colliding with other patrons as she weaved her way through the crowd. The space was so thick with people that, had Zephyr not had a few fingers hooked through the back belt-loop of her denim skirt, they probably would have lost each other within the human sea.

"Oh! Leanne, darling!" the flashy bartender announced the moment she reached the counter. "I take it you've come to retrieve the bottle of wine for Vashyron, right sweetie?"

"Yup!" she replied cheerfully. Her partner released his hold on her to lean against the nearby brick wall and brood silently.

The bartender swiftly wrapped up a bottle of red wine into a brown paper sack and passed it to the bright young woman. "Before you leave, would you care to try a glass? It's completely on the house!"

Leanne laughed, "Of course! Vashyron will be so jealous when he hears that I got to try it first!"

The bartender poured a glass of the red liquid in front of her, and she promptly thanked him, and took a sip. It was delicious!

"Zephyr!" she called, reaching over and tugging on the only part of him she could reach: his hand. For a brief moment, it appeared as if he had been deep in thought, but in her giddy state she brushed it off. "Come and try some of this! It tastes like real strawberries!"

"I don't want to," her companion replied grouchily.

"Oh come _on!_ You love strawberries! it's _deliciou-_"

But she never got to finish her sentence. As the familiar sound of gunfire rang in her ears, she felt Zephyr's arms squeeze around her torso protectively. The scent of blood filled her nostrils, and as they fell, she heard a loud thud, and felt her protector's body jolt from beneath her as his head collided with the wall he had previously been leaning against.

"_ZEPHYR!_" she screamed.

Then her eyes locked onto the perpetrator. He wasn't even facing them, and was waving his pistol wildly around in the air as he violently argued with two other men. All of them looked completely wasted. Several more gunshots rang throughout the bar. The final one had come from Leanne's own handgun. Her bullet struck the drunk gunslinger in the lower back, and he, just like all of the innocent people that he had carelessly struck, crashed to the ground.

People were screaming in all directions. The bar was in a complete panic. Leanne whirled around, eyes overflowing with tears as she desperately bent over and attempted to wake her partner. Bawling, she ripped the stocking off one of her legs and firmly pressed the cloth onto the bleeding wound on Zephyr's shoulder.

Moments later, several of the bar's patrons encircled the pair, and began to lift her wounded companion off the ground. One of the men took over tending to the gunshot wound.

Although Leanne's eyes were blurry, her hand still managed to find Zephyr's.

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><p>~end Prologue<p>

Chapter One is coming right up! :3


	2. Chapter 1: For Reasons Lost

_For You_  
>by PuppyNoelle<p>

Genre: Romance  
>Rating: M<br>Pairing: Zephyr/Leanne

Description: What Zephyr and Leanne think is going to be a quick and easy errand, results in an amnesia diagnosis for Zephyr.

A/N: Here's the first official chapter for you darlings! ;3

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><p><em>Chapter 1: For Reasons Lost<em>

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><p>She couldn't remember exactly when she'd fallen asleep, but when her eyes finally pealed open, she was in the same place she had been for the past two days. The cold, sterile hospital room was truly a depressing place to be. The doctors had told her that Zephyr had a concussion, and that they couldn't be sure the extent of the damage until he woke up. She remembered them saying that the longer he remained unconscious, the worse off he was likely to be. Her tears began to flow freely yet again, and she unconsciously squeezed the hand she held.<p>

She was astonished when the hand squeezed back. Her head bolted upward. Zephyr was awake, staring at her confusedly.

"Why are you crying?" were the first words out of his mouth.

Her tears swelled even more as she threw her arms around his torso. "Oh, Zephyr, you're okay! I've been so worried!"

"Um..." he replied awkwardly, "thanks. But... I have to ask: who are you? Are you supposed to be like my guardian angel or something?"

She felt like she had just been slapped across the face. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she pulled back and stared into his pale blue eyes. Her jaw went slack as comprehension dawned on her. His eyes held absolutely no signs of recognition.

"You... don't remember me?" she whispered, with tears beginning to swell again.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, instantly stroking her hand to comfort her, "It's just... the only thing I remember is waking up here, and seeing you. I don't even know who _I_ am."

She squeezed his hand even tighter, and held it close to her chest. She bravely swallowed her tears. "It's okay," she replied, "Memories or no memories, you're still Zephyr."

"_Zephyr..._" he mumbled quietly to himself. "And you are?"

"Leanne. I'm your... best friend."

He nodded silently, grimacing a bit at the pain he still felt in his skull.

The young woman pulled herself up beside him on the bed, and gently leaned her head against his undamaged shoulder. The young man tiredly rested his own weary head atop hers, and closed his eyes.

Voices rang in the hall, and they quickly approached the door to Zephyr's hospital room.

"Look Doc, I just need to have an idea of when he's gonna wake up! I've got a business to run here, and it's a hell of a lot harder to do with him out like this!"

Suddenly the door burst open, and a doctor entered, with Vashyron dogging his every step. Both pairs of eyes immediately flickered to Zephyr's conscious face.

"Damn! Leanne, why didn't you tell me he woke up?" their leader demanded, bounding toward the bed. He reached a single hand out toward her, only to have it smacked away, hard, by the hand on Zephyr's uninjured arm. Vashyron screeched to a halt as the young man emitted a low growl.

"Don't touch her," the boy warned.

"Zephyr, what the _hell_?"

However, the young man merely continued to glare at him.

"Zephyr stop it!" Leanne scolded, "It's just _Vashyron_. He's not going to hurt either of us!" Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand from the air, and laced his fingers back into hers. He still kept a wary eye on the older man, however.

"Leanne..." Vashyron pressed, "What the _fuck_ is going on?"

"So let me get this straight," Vashyron said, pacing around the room, "Zephyr has no memories at all prior to a few minutes ago?"

"Yes," Leanne's voice quietly rang in reply.

"So then how come he's all _snuggly_ with you?" Vashyron half-teased.

Leanne and Zephyr both flushed, and she responded, "Because I was here when he woke up! Besides, I didn't startle him by _bull-dozing_ my way over here!"

The older man sighed. "Fair enough. So Doc, you got any expertise in the memory loss department?"

The doctor shook his head. "Unfortunately I do not. We do have a psychiatrist whom I can call in to determine the extent of the mental damage."

"You make me sound like some kind of head case," Zephyr grumbled.

"Even _before_ you lost your memories you were a head case, kid," their leader retorted. The younger man glared daggers at him. "So Doc," Vashyron continued, "now that he's awake, how much longer 'til we get to take him home?"

"Well," the graying doctor replied, "I can't really say for sure yet. If his arm injury were the only problem, then I could release him today, but with the memory loss... Well, we will have to keep him here until the psychiatrist deems it safe to release him."

"Okay, so what do we need to do, _after_ the psychiatrist releases him?"

"Well," the doctor replied, "I'll need to give you a prescription for some pain medication, and also an anti-biotic to keep the wound from getting infected. That is all fairly standard. You will need to help him change his bandages each day. Also, because of the sling and the fact that his wound cannot be submerged in water, one of you will need to help him dress and bathe as well."

"_What?_" both Leanne and Vashyron exclaimed simultaneously. Zephyr's eyes bulged in their sockets.

"You see, he won't be able to change shirts by himself, and it may also be difficult for him to bathe as well. He will only have use of the one arm for a time."

Immediately, Vashyron exclaimed, "Not it!"

"_What?_" Leanne shrieked, blushing madly, "But I'm a _girl_! Why do _I_ have to do it?"

Vashyron smirked, "Because right now, you're the only person he trusts. Look, you'll be fine," he crooned, patting her on the shoulder mockingly, "You're both consenting adults-"

_SMACK!_

"Ow! _Damn_ woman!" Vashyron complained, tenderly holding his hand up to the sore spot upon his cheek. "Look, I know neither of you are gonna be happy with this arrangement, but quite frankly, _somebody_ has to go out and earn us some money. Since Zephyr's gonna be out of commission for a while, and if one of us has to be around to take care of him, then it's best if I'm the one out risking my neck to bring dinner to the table. Even without any of his memories, it still looks like he's the same old Zephyr, so he'd probably kill me if I sent _you_ out on jobs all alone, Leanne."

She sighed in defeat, while Zephyr's eyes widened once again. "Hold on a second: '_risking my neck_'? Does that mean that our work is... dangerous?"

Vashyron smiled, "We're hunters, so typically, yes, our work is dangerous. Ah don't worry so much," the older man laughed at the deer-in-the-headlights expression on the young man's face, "You and Leanne are a lot better with weapons than either of you look. Once you get your memories back, you won't even bat an eyelash."

The young woman's heart sunk. She was torn. There was a part of her that felt like this was the chance to start over that Zephyr so desperately needed. She didn't want to watch him tear himself apart any longer. She wanted him to be happy.

She hadn't realized just how long she had been lost in her thoughts, until Zephyr's voice pulled her out of herself.

"Leanne?"

She blinked and raised her head up to meet his eyes. He cocked his head to the side curiously. "What were you thinking about?"

She swiftly glanced around the room to see that both Vashyron and the doctor had left, and that the pair of them were now alone again. "Just... about what Vashyron said."

"Which part?"

"The part where he said that you'd be fine about our job once you get your memories back."

"Ah. Have I... killed people before?"

She diverted her eyes down to her lap. "Zephyr, we've all killed people before."

"Even you?"

She solemnly nodded. He leaned his face down closer to hers and stared directly into her eyes. "Well, I don't care. I still think you're an angel."

Her lips pealed into a smile as the air swelled with her laughter. "You really _did_ hit your head hard, didn't you?"

He withdrew his face and grinned at her. "What? Do you usually get on my nerves or something?"

Her giggles continued. "Only sometimes. _You're_ usually the one who annoys _me_, actually. I'm just not used to you actually _speaking your mind_ though. You don't normally say much."

"Really?" he watched her nod, still mirthful. "...Would you like it if I talked more?"

Her giggles finally died down, but she kept the smile on her face as she leaned back into his undamaged shoulder. She pondered, seriously, for a moment before answering. "Sometimes. Mostly I just wish you would tell me what you're feeling. You tend to bottle up everything until it's all built up so much that you just explode. Your anger is pretty intense, but that's mostly the only emotion you ever show anybody. I suppose it would be nice to see all the other ones, too. Even if you only share them with me."

"Oh. Okay. I guess I can try."

"Thank you, Zephyr."

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><p>~end Chapter One<p> 


	3. Chapter 2: For Secrets & Curiosity

_For You_

by PuppyNoelle

Genre: Romance

Rating: M

Pairing: Zephyr/Leanne

Description: What Zephyr and Leanne think is going to be a quick and easy errand, results in an amnesia diagnosis for Zephyr.

A/N: Just curious: do any of you guys know if there are any manga scanslation groups out there who are working on translating the manga for this game, _End of Eternity: The Secret Hours_? I bought a copy of it myself, and have started working on a translation, but since I don't really know much Japanese, it's a _very_ slow process X3

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><p><em>Chapter 2: For Secrets &amp; Curiosity<em>

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><p>The next morning, Leanne awoke curled up in the chair by Zephyr's hospital bed. She stretched out her arms and back. She was stiff all over from the lack of movement over the past few days. She hadn't showered or bathed since the incident either. She reached a hand up and delicately ran her fingers through her overly oily hair. Her finely textured locks were tangled as well, and they would soon become matted if she didn't do something about it.<p>

Her sapphire eyes floated over to the bed as she stood. Zephyr was still asleep. Though she didn't want to leave him, she knew that she would need to take care of _herself_ eventually. She sighed. The past few days had really worn her out emotionally. It appeared that he was going to be fine, but the young woman still worried. She didn't know anything about amnesia, but she didn't want this to change who he was. Yes, it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, and perhaps he would never remember all of the innocent people he had killed. Yet part of her was terrified that, in forgetting something that was such a huge part of him, he would end up becoming a completely different person. She didn't want him to be anyone other than the Zephyr that she had fallen in love with.

As her internal musings retreated to the back of her mind, she leaned over the edge of the bed and gently brushed the bangs out of his sleeping eyes. What she hadn't expected was for him to wake up at her touch. His eyes peeled open, and slowly focused on her surprised face.

"Leanne?" he whispered quietly.

"Shh... Go back to sleep. I'm just going home to shower." He reached up, more aware now, and grabbed hold of her hand in protest. She used her free hand in an attempt to gently pry his hand off. "I'll be back as soon as I'm done, I promise. I'll even sneak in some cookies for you, so that you don't have to be stuck with hospital food."

"Really?" his grip loosened at the prospect.

"Yup," she replied, smiling.

"Okay," he released her hand, and closed his eyes once again.

"I'll be right back," Leanne whispered.

"Mmhmm..." he mumbled, already beginning to doze again.

Finally, the young woman pulled herself away from Zephyr's bedside, and trudged out the door. As she turned the corner, she was so preoccupied that she nearly smacked into Vashyron. A loud "Whoa!" escaped his lips, as a large hand grabbed hold of one of her petite arms.

"Leanne? Are you _actually_ leaving your beloved Zephyr's side?" he teased.

She looked up at him tiredly, not even feeling up to smacking him or coming up with a retort. "I'm going home. I need a shower," were all the words she could muster.

He gave her an understanding smile. "Okay. The psychiatrist will be here soon. Don't know how long he's gonna take, so take your time, and get a nap in, too, while you're at it. I'll look after Zephyr for a while. _And_ give him his birthday present!"

Vashyron grinned, and held up a tiny box that was lazily wrapped in blue tissue paper. Leanne blinked.

He continued, "_You_ should remember it, since you picked it out for him, after all."

"No, no..." she lightly shook her head, "I remember, I just forgot it was his birthday today. The last few days haven't exactly been _easy_..."

"Hey, it's okay," he replied, "I'll tell him you picked out his present, and I'll deal with whatever crap this psychiatrist guy comes up with. You just take a well-deserved break."

She merely nodded wearily, and continued toward the hospital exit.

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><p>A few hours later, Leanne felt refreshed. She took a long, steaming bath, and, as Vashyron suggested, took a nap, in her own bed. She hadn't even realized just how <em>sore<em> she had been from sleeping in the hospital chair, until all of the knots in her back, legs, and arms had been soothed away by the running water and pillow-top mattress.

As she began to round the corner that lead her back toward Zephyr's hospital room, she heard two male voices. Her footsteps halted when she realized that one of those voices belonged to Vashyron.

"...Alright, I'll go ahead and take note of that. Does the boy have any history of mental illness, or has anything traumatic happened in his past?" This must be the psychiatrist.

"The kid's an orphan who's been in my hunter squad since he was fifteen. Trauma is something we see far more often than we'd like. He's got some anger issues, but in this business, that comes with the territory." Vashyron was purposely dodging the whole truth.

"'Anger issues'?" And, how exactly have these 'issues' manifested in the past?" This doctor was no fool. Leanne could tell that he was prying for the awful truths that Vashyron would eternally run around.

"Mostly he just smacks around and threatens to kill people who try to hurt our other member."

"Oh?" Vashyron had successfully distracted the brain doctor, "And what is this other member like?"

"She's got no family either. He saved her life a few years back, brought her home, and the two of them have been nearly inseparable ever since."

"So, has she become sort of a younger sister to him?"

"Well, you'd think so, but it's not like that at all. She's actually older than him."

"So, she's a mother-figure then?"

"_Not exactly_. He's in love with her." Leanne's breath hitched in her throat. How did Vashyron even _know_ something like that?

"How did you come by that knowledge? Did the boy tell you this?" The doctor stole the thoughts right out of the young woman's mind.

"Nah. You live in the world long enough, and some things you can just tell. So, enough with the questions. What do you say, Doc, can we take him home yet, or what?" The tone in Vashyron's voice was slowly growing edgy. His patience with the questioning was wearing thin.

The psychiatrist cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I suppose this interview will suffice. If it's not too much trouble, I would like to meet this female associate of yours. However, in the current state he is in, I would not deem Zephyr a danger to anyone. So, I will go ahead and give clearance for him to leave the hospital."

"Thanks. And I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all. She was just running home for a nap, so I'm sure she'll be along soon."

Just then, Leanne heard Vashyron's footsteps coming toward her. She backed up a few paces, plastered on a smile, then walked forward naturally. She nearly walked into him as she turned the corner. "Hello! I'm back!"

A look of relief washed over their leader's face as he smiled. "Hey, you're just in time, the good doctor over there wanted to meet you. ...And are those some of your homemade chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies?" He said, reaching out for the plastic covered plate.

She immediately pulled them out of his reach and pouted. "They're for Zephyr."

"_Of course they are_," he grinned, "You know, you _could _spoil _me_ with baked goods every once in a while..."

She peeked around him to see if the psychiatrist was still there, but it appeared that he had already disappeared back into Zephyr's room. She swiftly refocused her attention on Vashyron. She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I will... if you stop telling complete strangers that Zephyr and I are in love with each other."

His eyes widened. "You... heard that?"

She gave a sharp nod. "I know that you were just trying to tell him something to distract him from _other things_, but at least ask my permission first. Any feelings he and I may or may not have for each other aren't any of your business, or anyone else's for that matter."

Vashyron smiled at her sweetly. "Ah... so you really _do_ love him, too. He'll be happy to know that once he gets his memories back."

"_If_ he gets his memories back," she corrected, before walking past him to continue down the hall.

"It's not like you to be so cynical, Leanne. It may suit your _boyfriend_, but it doesn't suit _you_," he replied before she had gotten too far away.

This earned the intended reaction. She whirled around and smacked his arm, but laughed at him as well. "Perhaps I've just been hanging around my _boyfriend_ too long," she joked.

He released a hearty laugh as well, then called over his shoulder: "Well tell your _boyfriend _I'm going to work, so I'll see you both at home later tonight. You can handle all the paperwork crap, right?"

"Yes," she replied, rolling her eyes. She waved at his back as he turned the corner. She smiled to herself. Somehow, knowing that Zephyr had felt the same way about her released a massive weight from her shoulders. Even having Vashyron in on the secret lifted her spirit. It made it all feel natural, normal. It wasn't going to screw up their happy, family-like dynamic. Now she needed to concentrate on helping Zephyr heal and recover his memories- no matter how difficult it may be.

As she approached Zephyr's hospital room, she peered through the tiny window, still smiling. Inside, the target of her affections looked extremely bored, listening to the psychiatrist babble on about something. Leanne's eyes lit up and her smile grew at the all-too-familiar expression on his face. Even without his memories, he was still the same Zephyr she knew and loved. She also took note of the thin, silver chain that now adorned his neck. The small, asymmetrical, star-shaped pendant on it hung over the shirt he wore, and fell just above his heart.

Suddenly, his eyes left the doctor and met with Leanne's. His own eyes lit up when he saw her, and the corner of his lips tugged slightly upward. He signaled over at the doctor with his head and rolled his eyes. She giggled quietly, and took this as her cue to enter the room. The doctor turned around at the sound of her heels clicking on the linoleum.

"Pardon me for interrupting," she said politely, "I'm Leanne. Are you the psychiatrist?"

"Yes," he replied, reaching a hand out to shake hers, and introducing himself. "I am Dr. Tanemura, It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Leanne. You must be the young lady that works with Vashyron and Zephyr?"

"I am," she replied, taking the chair beside Zephyr when the doctor stood and offered it to her. She instinctively laid her hand out atop the bed, and an instant later, Zephyr's hand found it. This did not go unnoticed by the older man. She turned so that she could properly see the doctor as he spoke.

"Well, you'll be happy to hear that I've cleared Zephyr for release from the hospital. As soon as you've met with both myself and the doctor who tended to his arm injury, you can sign some release forms and take him home."

She lightly squeezed the hand in hers. "I'm happy to hear it. I ran into Vashyron on my way in, and he said that you wanted to talk to me?"

"Ahh, yes," he replied, "I wanted to give you a thorough explanation of Zephyr's condition. It appears to be Post-Traumatic Retrograde Amnesia caused by the concussion when he hit his head during the accident. However, since the physical damage to his head from the concussion was fairly minor, I am also tempted to say that some of the problem may be psychological as well."

Zephyr quietly huffed in indignation. "What does that mean?" Leanne asked curiously.

"Well it's quite possible that he is repressing certain memories. Since your occupation _is_ quite dangerous, it could simply be that he is repressing his life in general. However, it could also be centered around a specific event that has shaped his life up to this point. I am very curious to learn if the latter is the case. Vashyron did not leave me with any hints about a specific event, but perhaps you could enlighten me?"

She saw this one coming from a mile away. "Nothing that I can think of, sir," she lied, unblinkingly. The psychiatrist stared at her for a moment, not quite trusting her answer, but he sighed in defeat. "Very well, then. If you happen to think of something, or just wish to ask questions while he works on recovering his memory, please feel free to give me a call. Here is my card," he said, pulling a business card out of his jacket pocket and handing it over to her. She took it and thanked him. However, she then turned her body toward Zephyr's, indicating that the conversation had ended.

The doctor reluctantly took his leave.

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Vashyron yelled as he entered through the front door of their home. Zephyr and Leanne were both seated on the couch watching television. The remnants of their dinner were scattered across the plates placed atop the coffee table.<p>

"Welcome home!" Leanne smiled, and pointed toward the kitchen. "I left some food for you. It's inside the foil in the fridge."

"Thanks Le," he replied, "And why don't you two squeeze together and make some room over there for Daddy?"

They both shot him annoyed glances, but Zephyr moved over so that his left arm, the injured one, was safe between the armrest and his own body. Leanne rolled her eyes, but moved over as well, until she was shoulder to shoulder with Zephyr. There wasn't much room left for Vashyron, but it would have to suffice.

A few minutes, and ring of the microwave later, Vashyron returned from the kitchen and took the small seat that was left open for him. He wiggled around beside Leanne, making a show out of his attempt to get comfortable. He pushed her even closer to Zephyr. He accidentally-on-purpose jabbed her with his elbow, causing her to yelp and jump up just enough that she was now seated on Zephyr's leg.

"Hey! Watch it, Vashyron!" the younger man yelled as his good arm snaked around Leanne's waist, steadying her so that she wouldn't fall.

"Ehhh, what can I say? I need plenty of room to sit down."

Leanne glared at him. "But you don't have to nearly knock me _off the couch_ in the process! "

"But you're not on the floor, right? Zephyr's got a good hold of you. I figure you two can get comfy that way."

Both of his companions blushed, and the young woman glared as the older man smirked knowingly at her. She folded her arms tightly across her chest and pouted, returning her eyes to the television screen. As Vashyron ate his dinner, the room was silent, save for the tv.

Eventually Zephyr's leg twitched uncomfortably beneath Leanne's body. "Get up for a minute, would you. My leg..." he said quietly.

"Oh! Sorry... is it falling asleep or something?"

"Yeah," he replied, adjusting his position the moment she stood up. He used his good arm to lift the leg she had been sitting on up onto the couch. He leaned his back up against the arm rest, curled the tired leg up against the back of the couch, and left the other leg dangling over the edge of the sofa. "Okay," he said, patting the space between his legs, "You can sit here." Vashyron's lips curled into a wicked smile as Leanne sat down between the younger man's legs.

"What?" they both naively asked him.

He just shook his head, grinning from ear to ear, as he finished his meal. Finally he swallowed his last bite, and leaned forward to place the plate beside theirs on the coffee table. Before he could open his mouth to make any smart-ass remark, however, Zephyr spoke up.

"So... I was wondering something. That psychiatrist guy... he asked you both if something _traumatic_ happened in my past that I might want to forget, and you both said no. Sorry, but I can't help but think that that's a load of bullshit. There's something you guys aren't telling me. Something _big_."

Leanne grimaced, and Vashyron sighed. Slowly, the older man reached for the remote control and turned off the television. "I think it's best if you try to remember _that_ on your own, kid. You're not ready to know as you are now." And he stood, gathering the dishes, and left for the safety of the kitchen.

"Leanne?"

She steeled herself, then shook her head. She turned slightly to face him and looked at him with tears beginning to form behind her eyes. "I'm sorry Zephyr. I hadn't met you yet when it happened, so I'm going to have to trust Vashyron's judgement on that. If the doctor really _is _right, and you're repressing those memories, then you're going to have to remember on your own."

He growled in frustration. "I hate this!" he barked, startling the young woman in his lap. "I hate not knowing what's happened to me. The only thing I know is that I work and live here with you two! I just want to know who the fuck I _am_!"

Leanne immediately whirled around in her seat and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him into a hug and soothingly rubbed his upper back.

"Shh... It's okay," she cooed, "You'll remember, I promise. We'll work on it together, okay?"

She felt tears begin to soak into her shoulder, and his good hand reached up and ran up and down through her long, blonde strands. He seemed content to cry on her for the next several minutes.

"Come on," she whispered, pulling back and standing. She offered him her hand, "It's getting late. Let's get you to bed, okay?"

He nodded, but didn't say anything as he removed himself from his awkward position on the couch. He laced their fingers together tightly and allowed her to lead him up the stairs.

Vashyron watched silently from the kitchen doorway as the pair disappeared from view. He frowned as he returned to the sofa and flicked the tv on once again.

The man had mindlessly been watching the screen for nearly an hour before he realized that Leanne had not yet returned downstairs. Worried, he silently crawled up the stairs himself. It was so quiet, that he could only hear the subtle hum of the nearby streetlights. He gently peeled open the metal door to Zephyr's room and peered inside.

There he found them both curled up beneath the covers together. He tiptoed inside the room, right up to the bed to inspect. His 'kids' were both sound asleep. They both lay on their sides with their foreheads pressed together and fingers intertwined. He smiled with relief. Maybe they really _were_ going to get through this in one piece. If Leanne could soothe Zephyr in his current confused and fragile state, then perhaps regaining his memories would be a bearable process for them all.

After he closed the bedroom door, the older man smirked. "That kid sure moves _fast._ For all he knows, he just met her the other day, and he's already gotten her sleeping in the _same bed_ with him!" He chuckled to himself quietly as he walked away.

* * *

><p>~end Chapter Two<p> 


	4. Chapter 3: For Embarrassing Things

_For You_

by PuppyNoelle

Genre: Romance  
>Rating: M<br>Pairing: Zephyr/Leanne

Description: What Zephyr and Leanne think is going to be a quick and easy errand, results in an amnesia diagnosis for Zephyr.

A/N: Thanks to everybody for all 151 hits on this story! For a game like this that is in such a small niche, that number is very satisfying for me! Please review, and let me know what you like and/or don't like, Loves! :3

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 3: For Embarrassing Things<em>

* * *

><p>"I don't want to!" Zephyr yelled from beyond his bedroom door.<p>

Leanne lightly kicked the door with her black leather boot. "But you've been home for three days already and you haven't bathed _once!_"

"I don't care! I'm not coming out."

The young woman growled in frustration. "Believe me, I'm not thrilled about having to help you bathe either, but we don't have a choice! You're starting to _smell!_"

"Then just let me sit here and stink up my room. I'm _not_ bathing in front of a _girl_!"

She stamped her foot. "Dammit Zephyr! Vashyron refuses to do it, and you can't do it on your own!"

Suddenly, the door flung away from her face and the young man she had been arguing with pushed past her. "I _can _do it myself! Just watch!" he yelled as he stormed toward the stairs with a bundle of clean clothing in his good arm.

Leanne spun on her heels and swiftly followed him down the stairs. The first thing that greeted her eyes was a snickering Vashyron, who was sitting on the couch with a newspaper in his hands. He pointed toward the bathroom door. She shot him a withering look and reached for the bathroom door knob. It turned, but when she tried to push open the door, it wouldn't budge. She growled in frustration.

A howl of laughter rose from the couch. "Look down," their leader managed to utter between chuckles.

Sure enough, there was the edge of a wooden door stopper sticking out from beneath the bathroom door. It was something that she herself had invested in after the blackout incident, where Zephyr had walked in on _her_ in the bath.

"Oh you have _got_ to be _kidding _me!" She yelled in frustration. Vashyron continued to howl behind her. She banged on the door. "_Zephyr!_"

"Go away, Leanne! -_Ow_! Shit..." he said as a thud resounded from inside the bathroom. Something else fell the ground and the sound of breaking glass was heard.

"Zephyr, what did you break?"

"Nothing important, just a bottle of some- whoa- really _strong_ fruit scented perfume."

Leanne's eyes widened in horror. "Was it clear pink glass shaped like a crystal?"

Silence. "Um... yeah?"

"DAMMIT ZEPHYR, OPEN THIS DOOR, OR I'M GONNA BREAK IT DOWN AND STRANGLE YOU TO DEATH!"

Vashyron's laughter erupted yet again with a massive roar.

"SHIT SHIT SHIT!" Zephyr cursed from inside the bathroom, while Leanne banged angrily on the door.

A moment later, the doorstop disappeared from the crack, and the door slowly opened inward. Finally Zephyr emerged. His shirt was a tangled mess around his torso. The sleeve was halfway up his arm with the sling, and his other one was off, but had managed to get tangled in with the other one, leaving his good arm partially stuck inside the shirt. The bottom of his jeans were completely soaked through with Leanne's perfume, and the top of one of his bare feet was bleeding from getting cut by broken glass. He looked up at her with an apologetic and pitiful, puppy-like expression.

Vashyron continued to roar with laughter. Leanne pulled one hand back, and threw it forward. A red handprint formed on Zephyr's cheek a moment later.

"You idiot," she huffed, turning him around and shoving him back into the bathroom. "Sit!" she ordered, pointing at the closed lid of the toilet. He silently obeyed. Leanne whirled around, tiptoed around the broken glass, and left the bathroom. A few moments later she returned with a dustpan and broom. She carefully swept up the pale pink remnants of her perfume bottle, checked to verify that she had swept them all up, and stuck the tools outside of the bathroom. She pulled a towel down from one of the hanging towel racks and soaked up the rest of the perfume into it. She threw that outside of the bathroom as well. Finally, she closed the door behind them, drowning out much of Vashyron's laughter. She sighed.

"Okay. I'm helping you take a bath, and there are going to be no arguments. Understood?"

He nodded silently.

"Hold your arms up as much as you can."

He obeyed. She carefully tugged on each sleeve, easily untangling him. She finally pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor. The sling quickly followed suit. She signaled for him to stand, and he did so. As her eyes travelled down his well-sculpted, yet petite chest, she felt a strange sensation in her belly. She shook her head, and finally her eyes wandered down to the button on his jeans. She could feel the blush growing on her face. She cleared her throat. "Can you get those by yourself?"

He blinked. Something had been distracting_ him_ as well. "Oh, um, let me see..." He reached down with his good arm and began to fumble with the button. At one point he nearly had the front cloth pulled over, but then it slipped back. "Dammit..."

Leanne sighed, and swallowed her nerves. "Here," she said, reaching both hands down towards his fly. She swiftly unhooked the button and yanked down the zipper. Zephyr then attempted to kick off the jeans, but to little avail. With a massive blush spread across her entire face, the young woman slowly knelt down and tugged his form-fitting jeans down to his ankles. He was then able to lift each foot up in turn, so that she could pull the garment off the rest of the way. The pants soon joined his shirt in the corner. She rose from the floor. He was blushing as well, as he brought his good arm up in front of the boxers that were the only item that remained to cover him.

"You can take those off yourself," she said, _still_ blushing profusely, as she walked past him to fiddle with the plumbing on the bathtub. With her back now to him, he finally removed the red and black plaid undergarment.

After a few minutes, the tub was filled with water and soapy bubbles.

"Okay, go ahead and get in," she mumbled, still refusing to turn around. She heard a brief chorus of splashes as he stepped into the tub. When she was sure that he had had enough time to sink into the bubble bath, she finally turned around. He had sunk deep enough into the tub to cover most of his body, yet the bandages on his left shoulder were still well enough above the water level that they were out of danger of getting wet.

He sniffed the air. "This bubble bath smells like... strawberries?"

"That's because it's mine," she replied, growing defensive. "And before you complain about it being a girly scent, it's the only bubble bath we have. You and Vashyron usually just use a regular old soap bar. I, on the other hand, actually like to smell _good_ every day."

He shrugged using only his good shoulder. "Eh, it's not so bad. It smells like you, so I don't mind."

She paused while reaching for the shampoo bottle. "Wait. You actually pay attention to what I _smell_ like?"

"Yeah," he replied innocently. "I mean, you're almost always with me. And then when you leave for a little while, I can always tell when you've come back because of the way you smell."

"Have you picked up on the way anybody else smells? Vashyron, maybe?"

He shook his head. "Tch. Don't need to with him. He's too loud and pushy. He's like a bull in a china shop. You're more subtle, unless you're pissed off."

She laughed a light, tinkling laughter at his description of their eldest teammate.

"Hey, I _heard_ that!" Vashyron exclaimed from the other side of the door.

The pair inside the bathroom both laughed. Zephyr had only said that to flush their nosy leader out of his hiding place. He was just as perceptive as ever.

"Okay, you can go away now, Vashyron," Leanne called teasingly.

"Fine, fine..." the older man grumbled jokingly, "But you can't really blame me for wanting to witness the two of you in the bath together!"

"_Pervert_!" Leanne called, "We're not in the bath _together!_"

He laughed. "Not _yet_ anyways! Once his shoulder heals, you two will be jumping each others bones! I'll _bet on it!_"

They both flushed bright red. "_Shut up, Vashyron!_" they yelled in unison.

He roared with laughter again as his footsteps faded away. Finally they heard the front door slam closed behind him.

Leanne grumbled under her breath as she lathered the shampoo into Zephyr's feathery blonde hair.

"Hey Leanne?" Zephyr asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Why does Vashyron tease us like that? He does it all the time."

She didn't respond.

"Leanne... _answer me_. Before I lost my memories, were we... _together_?"

Her hands froze in his hair.

"_Leanne_?"

"Um..." she began, attempting to process everything that had just happened. Finally, she pulled her hands out of his hair, and sunk them into the bath water to get rid of the foam. "Well," she began slowly, staring at the water, too afraid to look up at his face. "Technically, no. And I mean... we never really went out on any dates or anything..."

"But?"

"_But_," she continued shyly, "There have been a few... _moments _that could be construed..."

"You kissed me," he said blankly.

Her head jolted upward. He had his eyes closed and he was rubbing his temple. "You were in a... wedding dress? And you tried to kiss me on the lips, but got my cheek instead."

Her eyes widened. "Yes," she breathed.

"We were posing as a bride and groom for a job, right?"

"Uh huh."

"And you called me a chicken so that I'd put the ring on your finger. Then you tried to kiss me."

"...So, you remember?"

He finally opened his eyes, and smiled at her. "Yeah." He lifted up his left hand slightly, and pointed at his middle finger with his other hand. "Here's the ring, see? I remembered seeing it when I first woke up in the hospital. I guess I've been wearing it for a long time, huh?" She nodded.

He closed his eyes again. "And I also remember seeing you in a Santa suit. I remember the skirt was really short, and I kept trying to look up it every time you jumped- Ow!" She smacked him on the back of the head.

"Heh... sorry, I guess that was a memory I probably should've kept to myself."

She huffed. "Well at least you're starting to remember things. Even if some of them _are_ perverted things."

He grinned at her cockily. "So have you ever thought perverted things about _me_?"

Her face immediately flushed. His boyish grin widened. "Well, even if you haven't in the past, I _know_ you were when you were undressing me before. I _saw _that _look_ in your eyes."

_Smack! _This time his other cheek was the victim.

"Okay, Zephyr, that's enough. I've had _more_ than enough embarrassment for one day." But _he_ wasn't ready to give up that easily.

"If I kissed you right now, would you try to stop me?"

She stared at him, astonished. "The old Zephyr _never_ would have been this forward," she warned.

"Well, you said that you wanted me to talk about what was on my mind more, so that's what I'm doing. I've been getting back my memories of you, and along with those memories are the feelings that go with them."

"Hold on a second, you said that you've _been_ getting them back? For how long?"

He shrugged his good shoulder. "Since the second day back home. I was sitting on the couch watching some porno movie Vashyron had on- _Ow!_- and you were in the bath, and I got hit with _deja vu_. I remembered the power going out and running into the bath to check on you."

"_That's _why you knew to put the door stop in the door so that I couldn't get in here today!"

He grinned. "Yeah. You went out and bought it as soon as we got the power running again. And I also remembered when I saved your life. I remember that you had dark hair then, and I remember free-fallling with you from Chandelier."

"You _jerk_! You should have _told me_ that you've been remembering all of these things!"

"Hey, it was all so overwhelming at first! I was afraid I'd been _daydreaming_. But then all of Vashyron's teasing comments made me wonder if it was actually my _memories_ I was seeing..."

"So, are all the things you remember about _me_?"

He nodded. "Pretty much. I'm not really remembering much about Vashyron, only things that happened when you were there, too."

"That's so strange. Why only me?"

"Probably because you're the most important person in my life. Now I know why I was so attached to you from the moment I woke up. Because-"

"-you're in love with me." She finished his sentence for him, dazed.

His cheeks prickled with pink. "Pretty much."

"Well," she replied, slumping down a bit an leaning against the edge of the tub. "This certainly isn't the way confessions go in romance novels. How many women actually get love confessions while bathing their _amnesiac_ love interests?"

His face flushed even redder. "Sorry?"

She recovered from her daze. "It's okay, Zephyr. But just make sure you tell me right away the next time you remember something, okay?"

"Okay."

She gently pushed his head toward his right shoulder. She cupped her petite hands, filling them with water, and dumped it over his head. Shampoo rolled down his face and right arm. He blew the suds out of his mouth.

"That shit tastes awful. Give me a warning next time, will you?"

"Okay. Zephyr, I'm rinsing your hair, so keep your mouth closed."

"Yeah. I'm on it."

She poured even more water onto his head. "And, by the way: I love you, too, Zephyr."

He opened his eyes to watch the concentrated look on her face as she dutifully tended to his hair. His lips curled up into a half smile, until a waterfall came crashing down his face once again. He grimaced as shampoo-water got into his eyes.

"_Shit!_" he cried out.

* * *

><p>~end Chapter 3<p>

Actually, in regards to the ring... I think technically he wears it whenever he's in his Type A outfit, regardless of what point the game is at. So I'm pretty sure it's not the same one... but for the sake of this story, we'll just play along with the idea ;P


	5. Chapter 4: For Unwanted Knowledge

_For You_  
>by PuppyNoelle<p>

Genre: Romance  
>Rating: M<br>Pairing: Zephyr/Leanne

Description: What Zephyr and Leanne think is going to be a quick and easy errand, results in an amnesia diagnosis for Zephyr.

A/N: This story is actually turning out to be longer than I had anticipated... I was shooting for 5 chapters (6 w/ the prologue), buuut I've thought up a bit more material than that. I hope you guys enjoy (especially since this is one of those added chapters! ;3) And sorry for the wait on this chapter! I've been a busy little bee lately~

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 4: For Unwanted Knowledge<em>

* * *

><p>"It's been a week since I've been out of the hospital, Leanne. I don't need you to go with me <em>everywhere<em>!"

Leanne puffed up her shoulders in a dramatic pout. "But Zephyr, Vashyron's already gone out on the mission for today! If I don't go to the arena with you, then what am I gonna do while you're gone?"

"I'm just saying that I don't need to be treated like a child! True, I can't shoot with my left hand yet, but my right one is perfectly fine!"

She held her hands in the air in surrender. "I promise, I won't hover, or coddle, or nag, or any of the above. I just don't want to be stuck here _alone_ and _bored_."

"Fine," the young blonde man finally gave in, while his right hand stuffed a spare box of bullets into his jeans' pocket. "But you have to stay out of my way, and you have to stay quiet. Agreed?" he finished curtly.

A broad smile crossed her face, and she cheerfully bounced forward. "Okay!" she chimed. As Zephyr sourly turned toward the front door, the young woman snatched up his right hand, and laced her fingers into his. His annoyed expression softened a bit. She used her free hand to gently poke his shoulder. "Grumpy," she accused.

"And you're too damn perky. Still love me?"

She leaned over and softly pressed her lips to his cheek. "Yep. I just don't _like_ you as much at the moment." She poked him once again for good measure. "Jerk."

"Prissy," he added, as he opened the front door and led them onto the steps.

"Emo kid," she retorted, locking the door behind them.

"Girly girl." They were now walking side-by-side, hand-in-hand down the street.

"Pervert."

"Cradle robber."

"Actually I think I prefer 'Cougar'."

"Why?" he asked in a bored tone.

"Because..." she said, leaning into him, and slowly creeping her face up toward his. Then, she began _purring_ into his ear. "_Reow_!"

He immediately cracked a wide grin. He snorted in an attempt to cover up the laughter bubbling up inside his chest.

"Shut up," Zephyr finally said, still smiling. He removed his hand from hers and, instead, draped his healthy arm around her shoulders. Leanne snuggled in closer. They continued to the arena in comfortable silence.

* * *

><p>An hour into Zephyr's target practice, his emotions were beginning to run high.<p>

"_Fuck_. I am so sick of these lame-ass targets! I want some _real _action!" he yelled, ruthlessly chucking a hand grenade at the target, and blowing it to smithereens.

Leanne hopped down from her perch on the nearby railing. She cautiously strolled up behind him and snaked her arms around his midriff. "Is that why you're so grouchy today?"

"Partially," he said, carefully using his left hand to reload his handgun. He then aimed for another target with the gun in his right hand, and fired three shots. When the noise finally died down, he continued. "And I got some more memories back early this morning."

"Tell me," the young woman replied, squeezing him tighter.

He fired two more shots. "First, I remembered when Pater took you out on that so-called '_date_'." He fired again. "Even back then, I was jealous." Behind him, Leanne giggled. "Second," he said, before firing three more bullets, "I remembered when Juris told us about the experiments that you were a guinea pig for." He fired again.

"Ah... No wonder," she replied quietly, once her ears stopped ringing.

He fired twice more, then reloaded. "It's like I'm reliving _everything_." He fired once. "All that pain, fear, anger, jealousy, _frustration._" Twice. "And all I wanna do is _destroy_ shit." Once.

"Well, those targets have definitely seen better days," Leanne replied conversationally. She slowly released him from her grasp.

He fired all eight of the remaining bullets in his magazine, and sighed. He replaced his handgun into its holster, and turned around to face his companion. "This isn't working. Let's just go and walk around town for a while."

She silently nodded and offered her hand. He laced his fingers into hers and led the way toward the arena exit. Zephyr continued to walk forward, but was stopped by Leanne's hand tugging him backward.

"Hold on a sec, I wanna buy some ice cream first. We can eat it while we walk around."

The young man sighed. "Alright, whatever you want. I'll just wait over here for you."

"Okay," she nodded, "Be right back!" She then cheerfully waltzed over to the girl running the ice cream cart.

Dark metal briefly flashed within Zephyr's peripheral vision. Immediately, he cocked his head to the side to observe. The shining metal happened to belong to a wheelchair. Perched in the wheelchair was an average-sized man, who had messy brown hair with a few grey streaks strewn in. Pushing the wheelchair was a man who looked strikingly similar to the handicapped man- probably a brother or cousin. The pair were conversing too quietly for Zephyr to make any sense of their words, but for some reason their tone gave him an uneasy feeling.

Leanne quickly bounced back to his side, holding out a chocolate ice cream cone for him. Her smiled faded, however, once she noted the serious look upon his face.

"Hey, Zephyr... you okay?"

His attention returned to the girl in front of him. "Oh sorry, it's just... that guy over there in the wheelchair... something seems kinda... _off_ about him..."

Leanne handed off the ice cream, then subtly peered across the way. Her jaw dropped in a gasp. She instantly clung closer to Zephyr by grabbing the sleeve of his jacket with her free hand.

"That's the guy who shot you!" she frantically whispered into his ear.

His eyes widened in shock. "Was he always in a wheelchair?" the young man whispered back.

"No... I shot him in the back after his bullet hit you. I just assumed I'd killed him..."

"Here," Zephyr said, thrusting the ice cream back at her to clench his good arm protectively around her waist. "Let's get going."

She merely nodded and followed his lead. He took her straight home.

* * *

><p>Once Leanne was safely inside the house ahead of him, Zephyr slammed the front door shut. The young woman winced at the sound. Her boyfriend was angry, that much she knew, but she wasn't sure just how much of that anger would be directed at her. She stood, motionless, as he stomped over to the storage shelves, and slammed down his gun and its accessories. He kicked a chair that was in his path.<p>

"Dammit!" he cursed as he slammed his flat palm onto the small living room table. "I can't believe that _fucker_ is still alive! The nurses told me that I was one of the _lucky_ ones. That bastard killed three innocent people, and seriously injured five others. He doesn't _deserve_ to be alive!"

It felt like she had just been gutted. But Leanne _couldn't_ tell Zephyr that he himself had once done _much_ worse. Here stood a former mass-murderer spouting ideals about mass-murderers deserving to die. The pain and irony of it brought tears to her eyes. "Zephyr..." she quietly called, shakily reaching a hand out to him. He was instantly at her side, pulling her close. His right hand gently stroked her hair as she quietly cried onto his healthy shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked softly after her sobs has ceased.

"Yeah," she replied, sniffling once more as she pulled her head away from his body, "Sorry."

He leaned his face down and gently pressed his lips to hers. As she kissed him back, Leanne could only see the sweet, innocent, and idealistic boy that Zephyr was right now. If his past were not so tainted, and if they had met under different circumstances, then perhaps their lives would have been much more peaceful. She couldn't help the pretty little visions that danced in her head: they could have had a tiny little house; Zephyr could have had a normal job, and come home to a home-cooked meal at the same time everyday; they could have had a little baby that she could care for and cart around everywhere. But that was just a fantasy. They were hunters. This was cold, hard reality and, in this reality, they just couldn't have those simple, peaceful things.

* * *

><p>"Knock knock," came Vashyron's voice as he quietly knocked on Leanne's open bedroom door.<p>

"Hey," Zephyr quietly greeted from somewhere inside the room.

The older man rounded the corner to find Leanne sound asleep beneath the covers, and Zephyr seated at the foot of the bed with one of the girl's novels open in front of him. The room was completely dark, save for the sliver of light from the open door, with which the younger man was using to read.

"What's going on in here?"

"Nothing," came the reply. Zephyr still didn't take his eyes off the book. "It was a rough day, so she fell asleep early."

"What happened?"

"We were over at the arena, and almost ran into the guy who shot everyone at the bar."

Vashyron heaved a great sigh. "Shit. Well then, my news probably won't come as too big a shock for you."

The boy finally lowered the book and stared at his companion quizzically.

"While I was down in Cranktown today, I picked up a bit more information about the guy today. Apparently he's from that area. Last name's Burkhead, and he's only been out of the hospital for a couple days. Turns out, he's a hunter, too- or at least he _was_- but now he's completely paralyzed from the waist down, so he can't work anymore. He and his brother started going around, making _inquiries_."

And Zephyr knew _exactly_ what they were inquiring about. "They wanna find Leanne and make her pay for what she did to him."

"Exactly," Vashyron said gravely. "So far, it seems all people have let on is that it was a woman who shot him. People from all over are pretty pissed at him for what he did, though. So if anybody _did_ recognize Leanne as the shooter, they're keeping mum about it."

"Why?"

The older man shrugged. "Probably because they think she's some sort of heroine. She's probably been too preoccupied with _you _to realize it, but her quick thinking saved a lot of lives that night. And not just her, but the other bystanders, too. I guess there actually _is _something to be said for humanity, because all those people really banded together to get you and the other victims out of there."

"Huh."

"What is it?"

"It's just... Leanne... she would probably try to deny any praise that anybody would give her for it. She'd probably just say that she shot him as revenge for shooting me."

Vashyron chuckled. "And knowing both of you as well as I do, that's probably exactly what happened. But that still doesn't change the fact that your little love muffin is now a _hero_. And ironically enough, _you_ were the catalyst for that little act of heroism."

The younger man curiously raised an eyebrow. "I don't get it... where's the irony?"

The older man shook his head, brushing off his companion. "Not important. Just get some sleep. It may be some time before this Burkhead guy finds her, but you should both make sure you're ready for when he _does_ come knocking."

"Fine," Zephyr replied as he closed the book in his hands, "I'll tell her everything you just told me in the morning."

"Good," Vashyron replied, pausing at the door to wait for his roommate to leave, too- only, he didn't. The leader smirked as the young blonde placed the book onto the nightstand, then curled up beneath the covers with his girlfriend. "Heh. I take it I'll be winning that bet after all..."

"Nobody ever bet against you, Vashyron. So enjoy your winnings of, oh wait- _nothing_," the young man replied snarkily as he pulled the covers over his lean frame. "And please let the door hit your ass on the way out."

The older man chuckled. "Ooh, hit a nerve, did I? What, she hasn't put out yet?" he teased.

"Go away, or I'm gonna have to hurt you."

"Alright, kid. _Sleep tight, don't let the_-"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence!" Zephyr hissed, "I'm nineteen! I'm not some little kid!"

"Well, apparently you _are_ a kid, if you're still a _virgin_," Vashyron teased.

The younger man's face flushed enough to be seen through the dim light. "How many times do I have to tell you to _go away?_"

Their leader chuckled once more, "I'm just saying... Leanne's four years _older_ than you are. She might have certain... _expectations._ You _do_ know about her hidden stash of _naughty_ romance novels, right?"

"_What?_" All of the color drained from the teenager's face. "So... wait... you mean, she's not...?"

His conscious companion shrugged. "How the hell should I know? She didn't come to us 'til she was already twenty. She left Aetersyl at nineteen, so who knows what she did for that year that she was on her own? It's not like any of us actually _talk_ about our pasts much, anyways."

"Oh." the young blonde managed, now lost to thoughts that he _really_ didn't want to be thinking... But just as Vashyron moved to leave the room, Zephyr spoke up again, "So how do you know that _I'm_ a _virgin_?"

"Because you've been with me since you were fifteen, and before that you were raised in a church."

"Oh... I was? _Damn_... you'd think I'd at least remember _something_ about my childhood..."

"Don't push yourself too hard, kid," Vashyron said solemnly. "You'll remember when you're ready, and not a moment sooner."

With that, he closed the door, leaving Zephyr to his pitch blackness, right beside his sleeping light.

* * *

><p>~end Chapter 4<p> 


	6. IMPORTANT NOTICE

**Please Note:** This is _not_ a chapter update.

This is merely a notice to inform my readers of my most popular, currently running stories that I am in the process of migrating my fanfiction from FF(.)net to DeviantArt.

This change is due to FF(.)net's recent decision to 'purge' all M rated, including all sexual and violent, content from the site.

This decision has been in the works for months, as I have exhibited by posting all of my recent Final Fantasy XIII-2 works on dA _before_ posting them here, however, FF(.)net's decision has only solidified my personal decision to leave the community.

My account will remain active, and readers will still be able to access all of my stories that survive the 'purge' however, I will no longer post updates nor will I reply to any messages or reviews sent to this account.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience to you all, and hope that you will follow me over to my dA account.

Love to all,

Puppy

puppynoelle(.)deviantart(.)com


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